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Sanctions (Pledges)
The sanction of a pledge describes the punishment that lies in store for those who forswear their pledges. In the case of some oaths and corporals, there is no additional sanction, due to the seriousness of breaking those pledges. Between changelings, the sanction of a pledge must be pre-established. However, when a pledge exists between mortal and fae, the fae sealing the pledge may simply decide to include the possibility of a sanction. Should the mortal violate the pledge, the changeling may pronounce a sanction of the appropriate power at that moment, laying a curse on the oathbreaker. Should the changeling break the pledge, however, Wyrd lashes out, leveling a sanction of the appropriate power. Generally, Fate works strangely in such instances -- when the changeling is most suffering the effects of this curse, the Wyrd arranges for the betrayed mortal to catch a glimpse of the changeling's misery, filling the mortal with the understanding that this has come about as a result of the changeling's treachery. The duration of a sanction, unless described otherwise below, is the duration of the pledge the sanction was safeguarding. Thus, breaking a pledge that had a duration of the "moon" invokes the sanction for a full 28 days, even if the pledge was broken on the 27th day of its course. If this sanction is against a mortal, at the end of the sanction's duration, the changeling has the option of spending a point of Willpower and continuing to empower the punishment against the mortal. Doing so invests the sanction into a point of the changeling's Wyrd, though, as though it were a pledge of itself. Banishment Those who face the sanction of banishment must flee the domain of the lord they have betrayed, for his servants stand to gain by harming or killing the traitor. Any changeling who bears a fealty to the lord who has pronounced banishment may gain a point of Glamour for acting to harm the traitor in a scene, as long as that harm occurs within the freehold's borders. A changeling who manages to kill the oathbreaker while he is within the freehold gains an amount of Glamour equal to the oathbreaker's Wyrd. This sanction does not happen automatically -- the lord of the freehold must pronounce the sanction of banishment before a gathering of at least one-quarter of his vassals. Though other vassals do not have any way of knowing this has happened, save by word of mouth, the oathbreaker sanctioned by it immediately feels the pronouncement of banishment settle on his shoulders. In truth, banishment is the most arbitrary of the sanctions, because it can be pronounced at any time by the lord who holds the vassal's fealty -- banishment is not levied by Wyrd. However, a lord who pronounces banishment idly soon finds those willing to swear fealty to him diminishing in number. Greater (-3) Curse The curse sanction instills incompetence and terrible luck on the oathbreaker. A thousand little difficulties plague his everyday life. This sanction is laid the moment the pledge is broken. Curses of varying power stack; two lesser curses are equivalent to a medial curse, and three lesser curses (or two medial curses) are the equivalent of a greater curse. In such an instance, the newly potent curse lasts for the longest duration of the various stacked curses. Various blessings and powers that grant luck can work to offset these curses. The 9 again rule's ability reduces the power of the active curse by one step, while the 8 again rule's ability reduces the power of the active curse by two steps. In such instances, the character's roll does not gain the benefit of the 9 again or 8 again effect, which is expended reducing the power of the curse in that instance. Lesser A lesser curse sanction negates the 10 again rule for the oathbreaker. He may not re-roll 10s to garner additional successes for the duration of the sanction. (-1). Medial A medial curse sanction reduces the possibility of success; only a result of 9 or 10 is treated as a success. A result of an 8 or less is a failure on the die. (-2) Greater A greater curse sanction is a terrible fate; only a result of 10 on the die is treated as a success. A result of a 9 or less is a failure on the die. In addition, should a given die roll result in no successes, it is treated as a dramatic failure, though the oathbreaker may spend a point of Willpower to negate this, making it a simple failure instead. (-3). Death The oathbreaker invokes his death by violating the oath. As soon as the oath is broken, the betrayed party immediately loses a permanent dot of Willpower (which may be purchased back by spending eight experience points), and the traitor feels the weight of his doom settle onto his shoulders. Within a number of days equal to the Wyrd rating of the one he betrayed (one week if mortal), the Wyrd will arrange events to cause a fatal -- and often ironically appropriate -- accident to claim the life of the traitor. If he manages to convince the one he betrayed to forgive him before his doom claims him, the one he betrayed immediately recovers the lost Willpower dot (or the eight experience points), and the doom is lifted. But the forgiveness must be genuine, and uncoerced. Greater (-3). Flaw The sanction of the Flaw is a curse that is left to the Wyrd to inflict. Those establishing the oath may either swear to accept the judgment of fate, or to call a curse down on themselves should they fail to be true. Effectively, pledges that have the flaw sanction either establish a Flaw at the sealing of the pledge, or they simply call upon the Wyrd to punish them as appropriate. Phrases such as "may Fate strike me blind should I betray this oath" and "let the tongue of he who proves untrue likewise betray him" are used to choose the nature of the Flaw. The one that violates this oath receives that Flaw within a week of his betrayal. If the choice is left to the Wyrd, the Storyteller may choose the nature of the Flaw, focusing on a Flaw thematically appropriate to the pledge broken: An oath to remain silent may actually cause the oathbreaker to gain the Mute Flaw, while a pledge that is broken because the oathbreaker was seduced may result in a Deformity Flaw, to prevent anyone from wanting to seduce him again. The oathbreaker gains this Flaw permanently. Medial (-2). Pishogue Some changelings prefer to take revenge for broken pledges immediately, and with their own power. Such oathtakers prefer the pishogue sanction, allowing them to weave the powers of their Contracts into the pledge. Such powers sit over the heads of those in the pledge like the sword of Damocles, waiting for a violation of trust to strike. The Contract is activated as the pledge is sealed, requiring a minimum expenditure of one point of Glamour. Should the pledge be broken, the sanction takes effect, and the Contract lashes out and strikes the traitor, who does not gain any resistance roll or passive defense -- choosing to violate the pact is the same as giving permission for the pishogue to strike, in the eyes of the Wyrd. In addition, the one who wove the pishogue immediately knows that the pact is broken. Lesser A lesser pishogue is a one- to two-dot Contract. These are minor inconveniences and punishments, levied for the least of offenses. (-1). Medial A medial pishogue involves the activation of a three- or four-dot Contract. Alternately, weaving two activations of a lesser pishogue into one sanction is considered a medial pishogue; the two activations must be paid for separately, at a minimum of one point of Glamour apiece. (-2). Greater A greater pishogue levies terrible powers on the head of an oathbreaker, typically that of a five-dot Contract. Alternately, weaving multiple activations of lesser pishogues into one whole may result in a greater pishogue: Three lesser pishogues, a lesser and a medial pishogue or two medial pishogues are the equivalent of a greater pishogue. (-3). Poisoning of Boon The poisoning of the boon works by not simply stripping the oathbreaker of the benefits he enjoyed from the pledge, but by reversing them. The exact nature of this sanction depends on the boon being poisoned: Adroitness The Skill granted by the pledge not only goes away but inflicts an additional –1 die penalty to all rolls with that Skill for the duration of the sanction. Lesser (-1). Blessing The blessing sours. Not only do the bonus points go away with the violation of the pledge, but the rating of the Merit originally blessed drops by a similar amount for the duration of the sanction. The oathbreaker receives terrible misfortune for a while. If this drops the rating of the Merit to below what is necessary to use the Merit (such as dropping Striking Looks to one dot or lower), a minor penalty comes along with it; those rolls that the Merit once assisted are now treated as though they were under the effects of the lesser curse sanction. Thus, an eroded Danger Sense gains that penalty to rolls to avoid ambushes, an eroded Fighting Style suffers anytime Brawl or Weaponry (as appropriate) are employed and an eroded Striking Looks receives the penalty to all rolls that Striking Looks normally benefits. The precise nature of this curse is based on the Storyteller's preferences, as long as the result is appropriately thematic to the oath broken, with just the right touch of irony. The business man who idly enters into a deal with a changeling only to find the money come rolling in is a fool who then ignores his obligation to his "good neighbor"; not only does the money stop simply appearing, but his fat bank accounts suddenly run dry and the money in his wallet and home safe turn into autumn leaves, as dried and crackly as his fortunes. The poisoning of a blessing is of a power equal to the blessing it once granted. Lesser (-1), Medial (-2) or Greater (-3), based on original blessing. Ensorcellment The poisoning of an ensorcellment is terrible, indeed. The mortal continues to perceive the things of the fae world, as normal. However, they take on a terrible aspect, feeding upon his own fears and insecurities. Changelings of even the most innocent miens become terrible, sinister monsters to him, and the truly fearful of the fae are sanity-shattering horrors. In addition, he suffers from terrible nightmares, his dreams poisoned by his oathbreaking. For each week that a mortal suffers a poisoned ensorcellment, he must make a Resolve + Composure roll, at a penalty of -1 die per week of poisoned ensorcellment. Failing this roll inflicts an appropriate derangement on the mortal. In addition, when he encounters the things and entities of Glamour, he must make a Resolve + Composure roll, at the same penalty, or react in great terror. Some may collapse into gibbering catatonia, while others flee blindly, heedless of dangers before them. Medial (-2). Favor The poisoning of a favor simply reverses the roles of debtor and owed, enforced by the Wyrd. Failing to perform a stated task in return for an unstated debt twists about; the oathbreaker then owes the one betrayed an unstated task, collectible at any time. Lesser (-1), Medial (-2) or Greater (-3), based on the original favor. Glamour When a boon of Glamour is poisoned, there is always the loss. In the case of a deal between the fae, the normal exchange is reversed -- the would-be recipient instead loses a similar amount of Glamour, which is rendered to the one betrayed. If this is the result of a deal between mortal and fae, the fae simply loses a point of Glamour when he would have normally gained it. Medial (-2). Vulnerability The sanction of vulnerability is terrible, stripping the defenses of the one punished. Traditionally, an oathbreaker who receives the vulnerability sanction is also assumed to have incurred the righteous wrath of the one he betrayed. Thus, even between members of a freehold normally forbidden to enact violence upon one another, the one betrayed is permitted to seek his vengeance -- if the oathbreaker desired continued protection from him, it is generally agreed that he would have kept his oath. There are two kinds of vulnerability sanctions: the vulnerability to Glamour and the vulnerability to violence. Glamour When the sanction of vulnerability to Glamour is laid, the one punished loses his normal resistances to the Contracts and other powers of the one he betrayed. The oathbreaker may not make opposed rolls against such powers, and none of his Resistance Attributes passively apply to any dice rolls made to activate such powers upon him. Likewise, his Defense is considered a 0 for the purposes of being targeted by Contracts and similar Wyrd-based Abilities, but not against normal attacks. This does not apply to all power uses -- this penalty only comes into play when the betrayed party uses such Abilities against the oathbreaker. Medial (-2). Violence The sanction of vulnerability to violence leaves the oathbreaker open to terrible violence. Against physical attacks made by the one the oathbreaker betrayed, the oathbreaker has a Defense of 0 for the duration of the sanction. In addition, the righteous attacks of the betrayed negate any Contracts or other Wyrd-based powers that grant some kind of bonus to Defense or armor against his attacks. Only physical, worn armor grants any kind of bonus. Medial (-2).